Little Butternut Lake
Polk County, Wisconsin185 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Butternut Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 23 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Butternut Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 185 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Butternut Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Butternut Lake is a 185-acre lake in Polk County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 23 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2023-05-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Butternut Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing4 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Butternut Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Butternut Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Little Butternut Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Little Butternut Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Little Butternut Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Butternut Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Butternut Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2023).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Little Butternut Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2022Big Butternut Lake fisheries survey, 2022Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- 2022Little Butternut Lake spring shocking survey, 2022Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
23 ft
Surface area
185 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
11 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,194 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Butternut LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Little Butternut Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Little Butternut Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Butternut Lake
- → Little Butternut Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Butternut Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Butternut Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Butternut Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Little Butternut Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10005132 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Little Butternut Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Luck Village OfLuck · 0.9 mi away · NPDES WI0021482Recent violation
- Afp Advanced Food Products LlcClear Lake · 0.9 mi away · NPDES WI0039781Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Little Butternut Lake
Where is Little Butternut Lake?
- Little Butternut Lake is a lake in Polk County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Little Butternut Lake?
- Little Butternut Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 185 acres.
Is Little Butternut Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Butternut Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Butternut Lake?
- Little Butternut Lake has a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 185 acres.
What fish are in Little Butternut Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Butternut Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Little Butternut Lake is located in Polk County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Butternut Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Butternut Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Butternut Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Little Butternut Lake?
- Little Butternut Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Butternut Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Butternut Lake?
- Little Butternut Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
35 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX35 samples · 2020–2023
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory